Photo Credit: Marco Pakoeningrat
America’s corporate chains overcharge consumers for slop and then pay their workers absolute dogshit wages to live in an America where war, tariffs, inflation and escalating housing costs make life unlivable for a significant percentage of the population.
Starbucks is one of the worst offenders in this racket. And in August of this year, its union, Starbucks Workers United, launched a boycott of the coffee giant, demanding the company sign a contract with its 12,000 members.
This boycott didn’t just appear out of thin air. Like all labor disputes, this struggle has been years in the making.
Before rightwing boomers get their panties in a bunch while sitting in their fully paid off homes they bought for $15 working as a janitor at a sandwich shop, these baristas aren’t asking to live in a golden palace overlooking the ocean.
They’re asking for the bare minimum amount to live a dignified life. As of publication, Starbucks baristas make between $15 and $16 an hour as a starting wage in most states. They’re asking for that to be bumped up to $17 an hour.
They also want 3 baristas on the floor at any given time. This not only benefits the worker, but the consumer. How many times have you gone into your local Starbucks and noticed long lines being served by one lonely, overworked barista?
More baristas on the floor means shorter wait times, happier baristas and probably better coffee.
Back when I was a Starbucks chugging chud, I used to get the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew, sometimes it was delicious, other times it tasted like shit. It’d probably be consistently good if the baristas had the luxury to take their time while making your coffee.
Another common sense demand is that Starbucks stop hiring new baristas and give hours to existing baristas. The reasons why companies do this is to avoid being forced to have full time workers. If a worker is full time, legally Starbucks has to provide benefits like health care.
But Starbucks would rather have an army of part time workers they can exploit than empower an experienced full time worker to be able to go to the doctor when they get sick.
Other demands include 4% annual raises to keep up with the cost of living, fair dress codes, and other protections. You can read about them in detail here.
Long story short, make coffee at home, or support one of the Bay Area’s long standing indie coffee shops. If you live in San Francisco, Oakland or Berkeley, there are simply too many to mention.
Don’t break the picket line, and don’t drink Starbucks slop coffee until the workers get paid a fair wage and reasonable benefits.
Starbucks made $37 billion in revenue and roughly $2 billion in profit in 2025. Trust me, they can afford to meet the union’s demands.
Your local barista will thank you.
